We should all turn our children over to the state at birth for raising.

3:15 pm August 18, 2011

Hmm wrote:

Not my parenting style but as long as it's just hot sauce I don't see a problem. I dislike the punishment but the right of a parent to decide how to disciple their child should (for the most part) be theirs alone. At the very least it should NEVER involve criminal charges except in cases of severe brutality (blood spilled or hospitalization required) or molestation.

3:27 pm August 18, 2011

Mom of 2 wrote:

As in most things, it is more complicated than this story shows. The child was adopted internationally, had not overcome the initial trauma, and was being treated entirely inconsistently with his needs. This was not the only abusive act, there were many other things, and more importantly, the child was being increasingly singled out for abuse because of his behavior - which, as anyone who has dealt with traumatized children would know, would only increase the intensity and negative aspects of his behavior. Using hot sauce is pretty pathetic parenting under any circumstances, but in this child's case, it was not only abusive, it was counterproductive. What is shocking to me is that she was willing to admit to the world that she was doing it.

3:39 pm August 18, 2011

Mterry270 wrote:

Wow! This seems far less severe than several allowed forms of corporal punishment. I haven't seen the video. Was the kid restrained, or being hurt in any other way? Given that it is not so many years since washing a kid's mouth out with soap was common practice for cursing, I am appalled that a prosecuter would be able to present this case with a straight face.

What's next, a parent who yells at theirs child being prosecuted for causing harm to the kid's ears?

3:43 pm August 18, 2011

DJ wrote:

this is crazy! I used to have my mouth washed out with soap all of the time, at least hot sauce has some nutrious benefits! I'm pretty sure we're not really supposed to be eating soap! I think this is an excellent form of punishment, maybe if my parents had used it I would have a higher tolerance to eat spicy foods! (I'm a real whimp with spice)

4:13 pm August 18, 2011

me wrote:

My understanding of the charges from on another source is that they are based on her forcing the child to shower in cold water while his sister video taped it, not for the hot sauce thing.

4:34 pm August 18, 2011

Hang Her High wrote:

I did watch the video - since the defendant is so proud of her ability to lord over and humiliate and hurt this child - so proud she submitted the video to Dr. Phil to get herself some publicity - there is no need for a trial - just attach her nipples to battery jumper cables and let er rip. The scary thing is that this nut job is married to a cop. Those kids should be taken from both of them - and quick.

4:55 pm August 18, 2011

Arshad Sherif, M.A., M.Ed. wrote:

All forms of punishing a child are wrong. Loving your children and reasoning with them when they misbehave is a much better approach to parenting. The problem for our society is that anyone who can have sex can become a parent. But some people are just not cut out to be good mothers or good fathers. We cannot prevent people from having children, but we can certainly run tests on them to determine their suitability and psychological readiness to be adoptive parents. Even the most primitive method for screening potential adoptive parents would eliminate a woman who feels it appropriate to punish with hot sauce.

4:56 pm August 18, 2011

Anon wrote:

Anybody who seeks this type of publicity should be punished.

5:06 pm August 18, 2011

Anonymous wrote:

I can't imagine how that little boy feels with a mother like that - I struggled to watch it.
The mother seems so premeditated about it like she was acting for the camera but yet it was real to the boy who was receiving the punishment and the humiliation of it being recorded.
But while I question her parenting and her decision to record it, I don't believe she has acted criminally. I hope she learns a lesson but I would not want to see her punished.

5:33 pm August 18, 2011

Mterry270 wrote:

Arshad,

You have an M.Ed., how can you say that punishment is never valid or jusified. Look back to your Developmental Psych classes. Or just look around at the grocery store for the futility of a parent bargaining with their 4 yr. old.

Reasoning may be effective with older kids, but what of situations where the misbehavior is to severe or provides sufficient danger to the child or others to wait and see if reasoning will be effective? What if reasoning has failed? Should the only people allowed to parent be master negotiators?

Reasoning has a place in a balanced philosophy of discipline, but certainly should not be the sole method.

Reasoning with kids as a stand alone means of behavioral correction is a fairly recent decent development. If punishment is such a terrible methodology, explain the long history of success in generations past vs. what we seem to be seeing more of in recent generations. Lack of respect for authority and rules.

5:40 pm August 18, 2011

Mnati wrote:

At this day and age, no kids should be treated the same way this horrible mother is treating this little kid. Lying and making silly mistakes is part of being a kid. Parents should find a better way to teach their children right and wrong without using corporal punishment or causing them physical pain. I grew up in a country where children had very little rights. My sibling and I used to get a beating from my dad for every slightest mistakes. I remember this one time, my parents were coming back from a trip. I was excited to see them and started running towards them so I can help them with the luggage but in the process, I accidentally fell down a few feet from them and injured myself pretty bad. Instead of being comforted.. Can you believeI ended up getting a spankingfrom my dad for not being careful while running? What I'm trying to say is that, as parents we need to be more sensitive and understanding when dealing with our kids.

5:45 pm August 18, 2011

Experienced Parent wrote:

The M.Ed. is right about punishment. It makes no sense to extract retribution from a kid when the concept of retribution, as opposed to an impulsive need to retaliate, is largely a complicated human construct. "Eye for an eye" is not a perfectly intuitive prescription, by any stretch; it means "You F'd up, and now we're going to F you up." I disagree, however, that some people aren't cut out to be good parents. Parenting ought to be a collective endeavor, involving entire communities, extended families, neighbors, local officials, etc. We adults don't know how, or don't want, to cooperate at such a level. Don't blame our foibles on the kids.

5:57 pm August 18, 2011

Anonymous wrote:

OMG! people like that don't deserve to have ANY children.
Of course when my child swears or curses I would see a just punishment with, soap never heard of people useing hot sauce until now but I think I would but with a side of some milk.
Prolonged punishment like her's is just evil.
Yelling at a child like that doesn't help either.
The mother needs the largiest sentance as well as proof of parenting classes, and on probation taking more parenting classes.

6:38 pm August 18, 2011

Fing mother wrote:

I hope this bitch rots in hell!

6:39 pm August 18, 2011

Lola wrote:

Experienced Parent, your comments are terrifying. What role should your neighbors have and local officials have in raising your children? If you want them in your business, that's your decision, but if any neighbor attempted to "parent" my child, I could teach Sarah Palin about the Mama Grizzly. Not gonna happen.

10:21 pm August 18, 2011

Putin wrote:

It's true, those Russian kids can be a real pain in the a**.

10:58 pm August 18, 2011

Good Luck wrote:

This kid is a monster. We treat termiator children like they are Bambi. This is punishment, not criminal intent to do great bodily harm

11:33 pm August 18, 2011

CJValdez wrote:

The author failed to write about the cold shower that this 'mother' used as part of her technique to 'discipline' her child. The hot sauce was only part 1 of her discipline; the cold shower was painful to watch and listen to. To the author, why did you fail to write about that this in your article? Was it your intent to minimize the charges that she is facing by failing to write about the cold showers? You can clearly hear the little boy screaming and wailing in the background as he is forced to go through another cold shower, yet you fail to write about that in your article. Don't minimize your article by minimizing your facts.

9:53 am August 19, 2011

GoodPoints wrote:

Mom of 2, you have it spot on, though the fact that the mother posted it shows she is reaching out for help. This is a situation where some counseling--as opposed to an expensive trial--would be more effective. Cheaper, too.

10:36 am August 19, 2011

mum wrote:

Because I am raising a child with attachment/abandoment issues, I understood her frustration, BUT she stepped over the line. She is the adult/parent therefore she is to take care of the childs heart and soul not further do damage. On the show she stated she thought he had these issues, yet it didn't sound like this little guy/family have gone for help. Is anything being done for him? If she goes to jail he will feel abandoned once again. Adoptive parents who think they are "saving" a child from these orphanges really need to get educated about attachment issues prior to bringing the child into their lives. These kids some times cannot adjust into a family life very easily or some not at all. Adoption agency's such as the one this family used should have been offering post adoption support or at the very least made the family find the appropriate therapist and resources prior to bringing the boys to this country and made sure they were being utilized. And btw, it is very typical for teachers or others outside of the home to not "get it" when it comes to children with these issues or the parent child dynamics. This mom did not decide "I am going to treat this child one way and the other children differently" What was going on in the home was a build up of issues, but let me state, once again, as the parent she had the power to stop the escalation of the problems to the point of where it went too.
I pray this little guy is getting the help he needs and deserves.

12:02 pm August 19, 2011

amazing wrote:

If she would have washed the kids mouth out with soap, would you have the same result? If she beat the kid with a belt strap would that have been worse? I have news for you people, there is a long history of allowing parents to administer corporal punishment to children and to haul someone into court for throwing the kid in a cold shower or giving him hot sauce instead of soap is not so far beyond the realm of reasonable punishment that this woman requires state intervention. With all the kids in the world who are truly abused and with all the budget cuts in state welfare and court admin, this is the wrong way to go.

I didnt see the episode, but it sounds like she should have just thrown the kid a beating....

1:33 pm August 19, 2011

Sarah Palin's Alaska wrote:

So what if she forced her son to take a cold shower. The majority of people in this world don't have hot water in their homes, so they take cold showers. Don't people still put hot sauce in kids fingernails to keep them from biting them?

By the way, is it fair to blame this prosecution on Palin just like teabaggers blame anything in the world on Obama?

5:08 pm August 19, 2011

Experienced Parent wrote:

Lola: My comments are terrifying only in a culture such as ours, which is so terrified of acknowledging the value of communal enterprise. Consequently, we enforce tenuous borders between realms like "business" and "family," and we end up in a vicious circle of distrust: others are not liable for our children's well-being, therefore we shouldn't trust those others to act in their best interest, therefore only the parents should have responsibility for the upbringing of their children, and therefore the children should be protected from others. Yet we rely on others all the time: neighbors, work associates, teachers, friends, children of friends, and so on. If we had a more expansive reach of trusted caregivers, we'd have happier, healthier children, and we'd be happier, healthier adults.

5:34 pm August 19, 2011

One Mad Woman wrote:

Her lawyer was just on the news and he says "how many parents don't give their children hot sauce with their food, she did nothing wrong". Well you stupid fool (GOD is assisting me in not calling you bad names)..the mother put the sauce in his mouth, NO FOOD, you are a terrible lawyer and GOD will take care of you for hurting one of his children. The cold shower Mr Lawyer, why the cold shower??? I have no children and am willing to take this child in my home, why don't you assist me Mr Lawyer and say you are wrong..I dare you!

6:17 pm August 19, 2011

idiotgear wrote:

Do not ever record things and do not ever do things in public. I think it was extreme but to say it's child abuse is pushing it. Now if that same hot sauce was stuck in the kid's eyes then now we're talking about abuse. I saw that video but we don't know the frustration that lady had before hand.

I remember watching old family shows when the kid starts smoking so the parents start having them smoke as many as possible before they got too sick. Is it abuse or discipline?

3:13 am August 20, 2011

Doc wrote:

I think it's wrong from the standpoint that the child will never learn to properly enjoy spicy food and will likely become another white-bread American.
OTOH, our Lord and Master Government sprays pure pepper into our eyes to make us behave.

4:11 pm August 20, 2011

vsheehan wrote:

I grew up in an Irish/Italian neighborhood in MA and everyone got hot sauce for a punishment for cursing or lying. Was shocked when I got older and saw that people actually willing ate the stuff. Cold shower is new. The mom has set rules, kid knows the rules,and consequences. The yelling was too much but sounds like frustration, like this kid is coming home everyday with a bad report. How is this abuse compared to a parent who just blows off a kids bad reports from school so the kid keeps acting up.

4:17 pm August 20, 2011

vsheehan wrote:

weired I never logged in so how is my comment posted without asking for me to log in, I never hit remember me and have cookies turned off.

7:47 pm August 20, 2011

Anonymous wrote:

vsheehan you are a kook. I can't believe what you wrote. I am 100% Irish American and my parents never hit us. They raised 12 children and not one was ever arrested, on drugs, or hurt anyone. You are just as sick as the adoptive mother. IDIOTGEAR you are an ass.

after getting the total info about the mother and why she videoed her unusual punishments, just to try to get on the show. To me this was going past normal punishment and is child abuse. To purposely put this on a video to get on a TV show. To me that was not a cry for help, but someone who just wanted to get some attention for themselves and get their 15 minutes of fame. I'm also curious of where the husbandis in all this, becuase I understand that she is married. I'm sre he saw thr video before it was sent.

2:27 pm March 19, 2012

Kairi wrote:

My brother in-law just did it to his son. What happens if I report it?

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